Have you ever seen a product and immediately known who made it? I have seen some dresses, and I immediately knew who made them, and most of the time, I was correct. That is the power of standing out.

There may be many people doing what you do or selling what you sell, but they cannot do it in the same way you do. And that differentiating factor could be what makes a customer buy from you, instead of another vendor.

Standing out from competitors is not only in how your product looks different from others, but it can also be in how you tell your brand story, how you create your offers, your brand colours, etc. In this article, we’ll examine 7 ways to stand out from competitors and win customers without stress.

7 Ways to Stand Out from Competitors

Standing out from competitors is not about being the cheapest or selling the most unique product. It is in the small things that make your customers want to buy from you, because of the way you run your business. And here are 7 ways to do so:

1. Tell a strong story

People don’t just buy what you sell, they buy why you sell it. Many strong brands have grown not just because of their products, but because of the kind of stories behind their products.

For example, Coca-Cola’s Open Happiness campaign told a story about how Coca-Cola plays a role when celebrating moments of joy in life. This places the brand in moments of joy, and makes people think of buying Coca-Cola when they are celebrating. Another brand that does this well is Nike, which motivates people to believe that they can do anything they want.

So, what’s your brand story? What makes your business stand out, or how can you infuse your product into people’s daily lives? That is another way to stand out in your industry.

Related: Don’t fret; your competitors are also scared of you

2. Have a Unique Selling Point

One of the things that sets the Veekee James brand apart from others is her unique selling point, which is beading work. Yes, many fashion designers make beaded clothes; however, Veekee James is more detailed and creative with hers.

The same goes for Tiannahsplaceempire, who makes unique fashion pieces with objects you can ever think of, and that sets her apart in the industry. So, find a unique selling point that can help your business stand out.

Another example is Ajoke Onifaari, whom we interviewed for an episode of our Hustle to Portfolio series. She stated that one of her unique selling points is same-day delivery within certain locations. So, find out one unique thing you can offer to your customers that others don’t and emphasise it to stand out in your industry.

3. Host live events to educate customers

Hosting live or physical events to educate customers on how to use your product/service or on related topics is another way to stand out in your niche.

For example, if you are a social media manager who offers page management services, you can organize live sessions on how people can manage and grow their business accounts. This will help you gain customers’ trust and make them believe in your expertise.

4. Create unique offers

When you sell a product/service, you are simply selling an item or service. But when you package that product into an experience with other add-ons, then you are selling an offer

For example, if you sell ladies’ dresses, that’s a product. On the other hand, if you create an offer where you sell a dress with a pair of earrings and a purse, that is selling an experience, and it is more compelling than selling just the dress. Ajoke Onifaari does this with her offers, where she pairs scarves and handmade bags with other fashion items like fashion pins, jewelry boxes, etc.

Also Read: How to manage small business inventory

5. Strong branding

The first thing that comes to mind when you hear branding is colour, font, logo, etc., and they are very important. For example, among banks in Nigeria, if you see the colour red, what comes to mind? UBA, right? If you see orange, what comes to mind? GTCO, right? That is the power of branding. It sets you apart.

However, your branding can go beyond colour to how you speak, the tone you use in speaking to customers, etc. Branding can also be in how you show up online, the kind of content you create, etc.

6. Master customer support

79% of consumers would switch to a different company if they found out it had a better customer experience, and bad customer service can make you lose up to 73% of customers.

A pleasant customer experience can be the difference between getting dragged online and getting a loyal customer for life. So, if you cannot compete on price, you can make customer service your competitive point to win in the market. Start by having a pleasant tone when speaking with customers, answer questions courteously, handle complaints gracefully, and make the customer feel like a king throughout their interaction with you.

7. Be Socially Responsible

Having a Social Responsibility Act can also set you apart in the market. For example, some businesses give out some units of their product to the homeless or donate some of their profits after hitting a certain mark in revenue goals.

This is another way to stand out and create a strong image for your business by showing that you care about others and your community.

Don’t Blend in

It doesn’t take effort to do things like everyone else, standing out and being different is where the work lies. However, the gain of being different far exceeds the pain of blending in. So, choose your hard!

At Triift Africa, we provide the funding, resources, and community for you to grow a successful business. Loved this article? Kindly give as many claps as possible to show your appreciation.